About Samuel Allen, of Bridgewater

Samuel, the eldest son of Samuel Allen Sr., settled in the parish of East Bridgewater as early as 1660. He was one of the original landed proprietors of the town and held many offices of trust and honor from the people. He was town clerk from 1683 to 1702, was a member of the Legislature in 1693, was in many of the battles with the Indians in those times, and once, while on a march to join Capt. Church with twenty of his neighbors, took seventeen prisoners after a desperate conflict. The records of the town still bear witness of his character for accuracy and research. He was a deacon of the church and bore a good character to his death.

He married Sarah, daughter of George Partridge of Duxbury; She was born in 1639. They had 10 children

notes

"Eldest son, Samuel, removed to Bridgewater as early as 1660, where he was deacon of the church there, and is said to have been the first settler, his name being among those appearing on a placque in the East Bridgewater Library commemorating the original town proprietors. He was the second Town Clerk, an office he held from 1683 to 1702, and served as a Representative in 1693. He also participated in many of the battles with the Indians during King Philip's War. His will was dated 29 Jun 1703, and probated 21 Dec 1705, Sarah Allen and Nehemiah Allen, executors."

The Old Grave-yard in West Bridgewater, on the east side of Taunton Road, leading from Mill River to Mile Brook Bridge, now called South Street, was originally one acre of land, and about forty years ago was enlarged by an addition of land on the north and east sides, to its present form and quantity, to wit: nearly a triangle, and containing one acre, one quarter and eleven rods of land, then making a carriage way on the northerly and easterly side, as appears by the plan hereto annexed, made from an actual survey of the premises, and then enclosing the whole ground with a stone wall, as now appears.

Some ten years ago the ground had become grown over to bushes, trees, wild grass and weeds, the stones covered with moss, and out of position. A subscription was raised, the ground was dug over, graded and smoothed, the headstones cleaned and righted, the footstones removed to the back side of the headstones, and otherwise disposed of, so that the ground is now in comfortable condition for mowing, and for being kept in good order in the future.

There is but one reference to this ground as a grave-yard in the old records, and that is its grant by the Proprietors of Bridgewater for a burial-place, and is found in the first volume of said Proprietors' Records at the top of page 153, in the hand-writing of Samuel Allen, who was the second Town and Proprietors' Clerk, from 1683 to 1702, and is in these words, under the head of "Edward Fobes:"

"more, one aker and half and one aker for a burying place, liing at the hed of this aker and half liing at the hed of his tow house lot that hee bought of John Cary, bounded at the hed by tow red ok or black oke saplings."

Samuel Allen, Senior Deacon and second Town and Proprietors' Clerk in Bridgewater, 1683 to 1702, lived on the east bank of Matfield river, near where the Branch railroad crosses the river. He owned a large tract of land on the east side of that river, bounded, northwesterly, by Nicholas Byram, and northeasterly by the lands of Whitman and Harris, including the plain, the common, the burying-ground, and land on both sides of the road, to the brick store and depot, and some further west.

All the burying-ground, and a very large part of the common at the meeting-house, was given and conveyed to the East Precinct, or to committees in behalf of said Precinct, by the Allen family by sundry deeds. Only one deed covers the burying-ground, and that is the deed of Matthew Allen, Jr., to Thomas Whitman, Edward Mitchell, and Hugh Orr, a committee of the East Precinct, dated November 20, 1759, recorded April 19, 1760, in Plymouth Registry, book 46, page 55.

This deed conveys "121 rods of land adjoining land for many years improved for a burying place, given by my father, Samuel Allen, late of Bridgewater, containing 100 rods." The deed recites that the land alloted for a burying-ground is but small, and in time like to prove too scanty for the use of the inhabitants, and that the whole land

Samuel was born to Samuel Allen Sr and Ann Whitmore. He was married on 16 Dec 1658 in Bridgewater,Plymouth,MA., to Sarah Partridge,daughter of George Partridge and Sarah Tracey.They are the parents of eleven children,all born in Bridgewater.